Bowling ball return mechanism



May 10, 1960 M. PATTERSON 2,936,176

BOWLING BALL RETURN MECHANISM Filed Dec. 11, 1956 FIM 3- INVENTOR MOREHEAD PATTERSON ATTORNEY United States Patent BOWLING BALL RETURN MECHANISM Morehead Patterson, New York, N.Y., assigns: to Amerlean Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application December 11, 1956, Serial No. 627,696

1 Claim. (Cl. 2733-47) This invention relates generally to a bowling ball return mechanism and paiticularly to a gated ball return track or runway.

In the construction of bowling alleys adjacent alleys are commonly separated from one another by a track along which the balls are returned to the bowlers from the end of the alley atwhich the pins are located. The ball return track generally terminates in a ball arresting means and a temporary ball storage section. The ball arrest and storage end of the track usually extends some distance from the foul line away from the pins so that it is easy for bowlers to select returned balls without walking upon the highly polished surface of the alley.

The surface of bowling alleys between the foul line and the pins is kept very smooth, clean and even. When a number of adjacent alleys are to be cleaned and polished, heavy mechanical equipment is often used. During maintenance this equipment is moved from alley to alley and, being heavy, is moved along the floor around the end of the ball return tracks where space is often limited, rather than being lifted from alley to alley over the tracks. A simplified means of moving bowling alley maintenance equipment between adjacent alleys would reduce the work involved in maintenance.

Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a bowling alley structure and particularly a gated ball return track which allows a simplified movement of main tenance equipment from alley to alley.

Another object of the invention is to provide a laterally hinged gate in a bowling ball return structure through which maintenance equipment is moved.

These and other objects of the invention will be set out and explained in the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters indicate like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a laterally gated ball return structure;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the gate structure of Fig. 1 taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1, showing the opening movement of the gate;

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of the structure of Fig. 1 taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

According to this invention a gate is provided, preferably near the foul line, in the ball return structure dividing adjacent bowling alleys. This provides a convenient "ice,

route between alleys for movement of maintenance equipment.

Thus it is possible to clear a bowling alley approach for the movement of equipment with a minimum of effort and loss of time.

The width of the gate is preferably between two and four feet although somewhat narrower or wider openings are contemplated by the invention for the movement of special equipment.

In the form of the invention shown, a hinge or swivel connection 101 is provided between a minor movably gated segment of the return track and the major stationary track segment 103. This hinge 101 has a vertical axis perpendicular to the length of the track. By means of this pivot 101 the minor movable part of the track acts like a swing bridge or door to open a path between adjacent alleys.

In order to reduce wear on alley approaches, the movable minor segment resting on the alley is provided with a wide, swivel mounted, free rolling caster 109 which also assists the movement of the swivelled return section being changed to or from normal operating position. The free ends of the movable and stationary sections are preferably provided with a latch 110 and shaped surface 111 so that they easily relocate and join in coacting relationship without causing obstruction to the free movement of a ball.

While in the ordinary case the movable track section of the invention is individually and manually operated, it is contemplated that it may be power operated.

There have thus been described improvements in bowling ball return mechanisms which include the provision of a gated section wide enough to permit free movement of alley maintenance equipment between adjacent alloys through an open section of the ball return track.

What is claimed is:

In combination, two adjacent bowling alleys divided by a ball return track terminating in an elevated ball storage rack at the approach end of said alleys, and a movable abutting riser disposed between said track and said rack in feeding relation thereto and serving to guide returning balls from said track into said rack, said riser being pivoted upon said track at one end so as to describe an arcuate horizontal path when swung and being supported at its other end by a vertical support resting upon a freely rotatable base, whereby said riser may be swung in supported position in a horizontal plane to detime a passageway between said alleys.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 715,202 Downey Dec. 2, 1902 817,504 McCarthy Apr. 10, 1906 1,097,937 Purnell May 26, 1914 1,139,588 Seitz May 18, 1915 1,145,803 Schlossberg July 6, 1915 2,699,944 Keesling Jan. 18, 1955 

